Giro Rosa (st. 4)
Borghesi (VAI) wins from three-woman escape formed halfway through the race, Biannic into early attacks; Eider reaches crucial climbs in the Giro unscathed.
It was a somewhat chaotic stage four of the 2019 Giro Rosa -100km from Lissone to Carate Brianza, near Milan-, which served as prelude to two demanding mountain stages on Tuesday and Wednesday, tackling the difficult climbs to Cancano (st. 5) and Teglio (ITT, st. 6).
Letizia Borghesi (VAI) took the win out of a three-woman break gathering nearly five minutes of advantage, as the peloton was wrongly directed by a marshal and had to ride an extra half kilometer to return to the original route. At the finish, Quagliotto (ALE) celebrated too early and was overtaken at the last bike push by Borghesi, while the bunch, led by Marianne Vos (CCC) and containing race leader Kasia Niewiadoma (CSR), finished just 42″ behind.
The Movistar Team did not experience major setbacks, as Biannic, Jasinska, Patiño -all three inside the peloton at the finish-, Gutiérrez and Rodríguez protected well Eider Merino, who looks forward to tackle her beloved climbs – starting with Tuesday’s substitute of the Passo Gavia.
Austria: Blues safe after another sprint, mountains coming up tomorrow
Jannik Steimle (VBG) got back into the lead of the 2019 Tour of Austria, which witnessed on Monday another bunch sprint at Wiener Neustadt (176km, st. 2), quite more disorganized than yesterday’s and not suiting Carlos Barbero’s chances. The Burgos native -wearing today the Points jersey- and his six team-mates finished into a main group led home by Tom Devriendt (WGG). Tuesday will bring the first real mountains, as the cols of Eibeggsattel (Cat-2) and Teichalm (Cat-1) are climbed near Frohnleiten’s finish (st. 3).